• Norris Lake Fishing Report

    Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
    (423) 587-7037 http://www.tnfish.org/index.html phshaw@comcast.net
  • Paul grew up in Auburn, Alabama and graduated from Auburn High School in 1969. Before leaving high school, he began working in Auburn University's fisheries department on an experimental channel catfish cage culture project. After a year at the University of Mississippi (1969-70), he transferred to Auburn University, graduating in 1974 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Fisheries Management.

  • Norris Lake Fishing Report

    WATER CONDITIONS
    The water elevation on 27 March was 1009.6-feet, which is 3.2-feet higher than it was last Wednesday. The water level is predicted to rise 4.8-inches by midnight, Friday, 29 March. The inflow is 10,175 cfs.
    Afternoon water surface temperatures/colors are running about 3 to 5 degrees higher than those taken in the early mornings. Here are this afternoon’s water conditions: Point 1 (near Norris Dam), clear, 49 degrees; Loyston clear, 50 degrees; Needham Hollow (Brogan’s access), clear, 51 degrees; Clinch channel at Hwy 33 Bridge, clear, 49 degrees; Sycamore Creek at Hwy 25E, stained with 2-feet of visibility, 46 degrees; Clinch River at Hwy 25E access, stained with 2-feet of visibility, 48 degrees; Powell River at Earl’s Hollow, muddy, 50 degrees; Powell River channel at Point 12 (mouth of Davis Creek), mud stained with 2-feet of visibility, 48 degrees; Davis Creek at Well Springs access, mud stained with 1-foot of visibility, 50 degrees.
    On sunny afternoons, temperatures in the hollows may be up to 53 degrees where the water is stained.

    On this date, last year, the surface temperatures taken in the early morning were averaging 62 degrees, with afternoon readings up to 70 degrees in some locations.

    To view photos and Google maps of all access areas on the reservoir, go to http://www.tnfish.org/ReservoirLakeM...eMaps_TWRA.htm or http://tinyurl.com/chm2ts9.
    For the Norris lake elevation, inflow rates, and generation times, go to http://www.tva.gov/lakes/noh_r.htm.

    SUMMARY
    New fishing regulations came into effect on 1 March. Annual licenses need to be renewed. There are regulation changes since last year. Go to www.tnwildlife.org or www.tn.gov/twra to access an online Fishing Guide or look in the paper copy of the 2013-2014 Fishing Guide for details.
    Fishing has been slow all week. Windy, sub-freezing weather, coupled with a fluctuating water elevation, is not helping. Water temperatures which are much colder than usual for this time of year are keeping many fish in their winter pattern. Slow presentations are still working best.

    BLUEGILL and REDEAR (SHELLCRACKER): Bluegill slow. Shellcracker are slow. Bluegill are hitting crickets and mealworms at 15 to 20 feet, whether suspended or close to the bottom.

    CRAPPIE: Moderate in lower end creek hollows, good far upstream in the river headwaters. 3 to 20-feet. The best action has been in the Powell above Point 17 and on the Clinch arm above Point 30. The head of Davis and Doaks creeks are producing some crappie on the right days.

    LARGEMOUTH BASS: Slow. Shallow and close to the shore, especially in stained sections. 200 series Bandit crankbaits, Rat’l Traps, Shaky Head rigs, Silver Buddy’s, and pig’n jigs in stained and muddy water. Surface to 5-feet in the morning; 15 to 20-feet at mid-day. Stained water areas will have largemouth very close to the shoreline, and very shallow.

    SMALLMOUTH BASS: Fair.
    On the broken rock, moderately sloped banks. Small hair or feather jigs, Shaky Head rigs, Silver Buddy’s, and flukes close to rocky shorelines in stained sections, and as deep as 25-feet in clearer water. Float-and-fly rig action was slow. Transition zones from boulders to gravel, as well as shelves on clay/gravel banks have been good. Transition zones on points have been the best. Medium running crankbaits took a few in stained areas.

    *REGULATION CHANGE FOR SMALLMOUTH BASS: The regulation changed on October 16th. It now allows five smallmouth with a minimum length limit of 18-inches. This regulation remains in effect until June 1st.

    SPOTTED BASS: Fair. On large rock shorelines and into the larger creek hollows. Small, crawfish pattern crankbaits and pig’n jigs along the shorelines where there are big boulders and plenty of gravel to boulder transition zones.

    STRIPED BASS: Fair. (*See regulation change, below, effective Nov. 1st.) 20 to 30-feet deep, suspended, in the channels. These fish are moving upstream from previous locations. Bird activity is good on most of the reservoir. Fish where they’re feeding. Most of those caught were below the legal size limit. Striped bass are on the move; finding them is the hardest part.

    *REGULATION REMINDER FOR STRIPED BASS: November 1–March 31: 1 per day, 36 inch minimum length limit.

    WALLEYE Fair. The catch on the Clinch and Powell headwaters slowed considerably with colder water inflow than last week. Some of the river run walleye have already spawned. The upper Powell River is muddy, but the Clinch has good color.
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    SPECIES DETAILS

    BLUEGILL/REDEAR
    Bluegill slow. Shellcracker catches are very slow.
    15 to 20-feet deep for bluegill whether suspended in cover or on the bottom. Look for larger bluegills deep on steeper, rocky, shady banks. Crickets or mealworms have been best for bluegill, regardless of depth.
    For bluegill and shellcracker, use redworms, meal worms, crickets, or small minnows fished with no float, but tightlined or cast to shady, rocky banks and dragged slowly across the bottom.

    CRAPPIE
    Moderate on the lower end; good above Point 17 on the Powell and above Point 30 on the Clinch.
    3 to 20-feet, tight to brush and wood structure where the water’s stained or muddy. Target stained sections of the main channels and creeks, tight to brush. Crappie are moving into the brushy areas in the larger creek hollows and are shallow where the water is stained.
    Good lures: Tuffy minnows, small doll flies, mini tube jigs (red/white, blue/white) and 1/32 ounce hair or feather jigs tipped with minnows, Trout Magnets, or Slider grubs in a variety of colors. Catches were good above Point 17 (Powell side) and above Point 30 (Clinch side) on main channel brush.

    LARGEMOUTH & SPOTTED BASS
    Slow. Fluctuating, cold water slowed catches.
    Close to the shoreline from the surface to 20-feet. Davis Creek and Doaks Creek’s 50 degree, mud-stained water has produced some largemouth, shallow.
    200 and 300 series Bandit crankbaits and Norman crankbaits fished parallel to the rocks in stained sections, Silver Buddy’s, and small pig’n jigs are catching the most, close to the shorelines. In stained sections, they have been very close to rocky shorelines with timber. Crankbaits with a rapid action and/or rattle have done well in muddy or stained water when fished parallel to the shoreline rocks at less than 10-feet. Shaky Head jigs rigged with the smaller plastic worms or grubs are doing well at less than 10-feet on main channel banks. Shaky Heads rigged “whacky style” have taken some largemouth and smallmouth. Fish these very slowly in the cold water.

    SMALLMOUTH BASS
    *(The regulation changed Oct. 16th. See the note, below.)
    Fair. Best on the days with the worst weather.
    10 to 15-feet on rocky banks.
    Water temperatures 15 to 20 degrees colder than usual for this time of year, may be delaying the staging pattern.
    Ledges at about 15 to 20-feet which are close to transition zones of gravel to boulder, and near points, are producing good smallmouth. Look for early staging smallmouth on deep dropoffs which are not far from white pea gravel points.
    Cold, clear water has produced smallmouth on small (1/8th oz) hair, feather, or rubber jigs. The smaller shaky head (3/32 oz) jigs rigged with the smaller worms, some “whacky style,” have worked well. Slower presentations are working in the colder water. Small float’n fly rig catches improved at 10 to 15-feet deep. 200 series Bandits in the red crawfish pattern have caught smallmouth on the main channels as well as in the creeks where there was stained water.
    Other lures which have produced: crawfish imitation colors, 3/8 oz hair jig with trailer; or popeye jigs (1/16th to 1/8th oz), tipped with a tuffy minnow. Dark green (cedar tree green) or gray colors have worked well for the small hair jigs tipped with minnows.


    *REGULATION CHANGE FOR SMALLMOUTH BASS: The regulation changed on October 16th. It now allows five smallmouth with a minimum length limit of 18-inches. This regulation remains in effect until June 1st.


    STRIPED BASS
    (The regulation changes Nov. 1st. See the note, below.)
    Fair. These fish are starting their spring movement upstream. Look for them in the upper end of the larger creek embayments (Cove Cr., Big Cr., Lost Cr.) and upriver on both the Powell and Clinch.
    Depth: 30-feet, in the channels and across long points and over deep humps in the main channels of the river arms or large creek embayments. Look for feeding gulls which indicate the location of baitfish schools and troll or tightline alewife or shad in those locations.
    Troll ½ to 1 oz bucktail jigs, umbrella rigs with trailers in pearl or chartreuse, or live bait (gizzard shad or alewife) tightlined to the depth of the forage fish schools in mid-channel especially across the points and humps. Some have been caught by anglers casting large doll flies or plugs to the shoreline at dawn if baitfish are present. These fish are moving more than usual at this time of year, perhaps in response to extreme changes in the reservoir flow rates. On the Clinch side, Loyston Sea action was slow. The islands near Hickory Star have produced some catches. The Powell side catches came from between points 11 and 12, but the fish have been small. Before using umbrella rigs, read the Fishing Regulations and the hook size/number restrictions which are in effect.

    *REGULATION REMINDER FOR STRIPED BASS: November 1–March 31: 1 per day, 36 inch minimum length limit.


    WALLEYE
    Fair.
    10 to 15-feet (bottom depth)
    Water color and flow are good in the Clinch headwaters, but the temperature is still in the high 40’s. Powell walleye have been caught from above Point 17 and to Earl’s Hollow, with reports of fish at Town Creek. The Powell headwaters are muddy. Clinch headwaters fish are in the shoals above Point 34. Some of the walleye which have been caught are already spawned out, but some are still far upstream in the shoals. Mostly male walleye are being caught.
    Staging areas for walleye: in the channel near Bridgeport Hollow, the bend below Point 32, the straight stretch of channel at Bunchtown Flats (3/4 mile above Point 32, the numerous small, deep shoals between Bunchtown Flats and Point 33, and the deep shoal a quarter mile below the Beech Grove ramp. The water temperature in this section has remained too cold.
    phs
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